reporter: the district s mandate and new study results giving beth and her two kids peace of mind. masks and other policies like that help us keep our kids in the classroom, which is where i want them to be and where they want to be. reporter: parents now armed with new evidence about masks in a debate playing out across the country. steve patterson, nbc news, phoenix. i should mention later in the hour, we re going to speak with one boy who stepped up and entered the pfizer vaccine trial for kids along with his two other siblings. why the family decided to enroll them and their message to others. but up next, you won t see any woman s pro soccer matches this weekend. they were all called off after explosive allegations of sexual misconduct from a fired coach. the reporter who broke the bombshell story joins us live next. broke the bombshell storjoy ins us live next rty mutual customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need. how much money can liberty mutual save you
wear masks while indoors. it s very stressful. we had instances already where she s had exposures. we thought about switching to other school districts. reporter: now a new cdc study shows she s right to be concerned. researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,000 k-through-12 public schools in arizona s two most populated counties some had mask mandates for students and staff from the first day of classes others required masks later or not at all what did they find schools without mask mandates were 3.5 times more likely to have a covid outbreak than schools that started the term with mask mandates i love that - reporter: the study s author says these results are already having a ripple effect we are certainly hearing from schools saying that because of this study that they intend to keep the policy in place longer reporter: in the school district they currently have nearly five cases per 1,000 students and staff, but 30 miles away in the madison school
across the country. steve patterson, nbc news, phoenix. still ahead tonight, new fallout over sexual misconduct allegations in women s soccer players boycotting this weekend and what happened at the hall of fame today in protest. also, a historic winning streak by a new jeopardy! star
results are already having a ripple effect. we are certainly hearing from schools saying that because of this study that they intend to keep the policy in place longer. reporter: they have nearly five cases per 1,000 students and staff. but 30 miles away in the madison school district in phoenix, they have less than half the number of on-site active cases per thousand. kenneth bachus says they mandated masks indoors from day one. all we re trying to do is keep kids in school and keep them safe. reporter: those protocols freedom, that s what i stand for. reporter: an increasing source of division at schools and businesses across the state. let us choose what is best for our children. thank you. reporter: do the cdc findings reinforce what you have established here with mask mandates? it reinforces it. and it is reaffirming and very comforting to know that the mitigation efforts we have taken is paying off.